Utility garment



L. F. LOEWE UTILITY GARMENT Dec. 4, 1962 Filed Dec. 18, 1961 INVENTOR.LESLIE F. Logwe BY 4/. KM

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,966,3tl7 UTILITY (JARMENT Leslie F.Loewe, University flirty, Mo., assignor to Angelica Uniform (lornpany,St. Louis, Mo., :1 corpo- .ration of Missouri Filed Dec. 18, 1961, Ser.No. 159,976

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-74) This invention relates in general to wearing appareland, more particularly, to certain new and useful improvements in womensouter garments designed for utility wear.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wonians outergarment adapted primarily for utility purposes, being of the typegenerally referred to as uniforms, and which is uniquely designed fordonning in an equally convenient manner by either an over-thehead orstepping-in procedure.

It is a further object of the pre ent invention to provide a womansouter garment which is closed at the front and provided with awaist-length opening in the rear, having neck-located securing means,and with the opening-defining elements being resistant, through theirnovel construction, against undesired parting during garment wear.

. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a womansouter utility garment having a single opening permitting ease ofover-the-head or stepping-in donning, which is adapted for pressing by aflat ironer, obviating the need for time-consuming, costly handwork asrequisite with currently available uniforms so that laundering may beaccomplished in an expeditious and economic manner.

It is a still further object of the present invention to providea womansouter utility garment which may be most economically manufactured; whichincorporates novel belt means and a cooperating detachable apron; whichis devoid of slide fasteners, rows of buttons, and like securingmembers; and which garment is durable, reliable, and comfortable inusage.

Other objects and details of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawing wherein FIGURE 1 is a side view of a utility garment constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention, showingthe garment in worn position.

FIGURE 2 is a front view.

FIGURE 3 is a back view.

FIGURE 4 is a plan View of the apron.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 55 ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal tranverse sectional view taken on the line 6--6of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal transverse sectional view taken on the line 7-7of FIGURE 3.

Referring now by reference characters to the drawing which illustratesthe preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a womansouter garment or dress of the type designed primarily for utilitypurposes, such as used in restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and the like,and being made, preferably, of light, washable fabrics. Garment Acomprises a front central panel 1, and a pair of symmetrical front sidepanels 2, 3, all of said panels being of shoulder to-hem length,incorporating Waist and skirt portions. Said front side panels 2, 3 aresecured, as by stitching, along straight seams 4, 5, respectively, ontheir normally inner side margins to the adjacent margin of centralpanel 1; said seams 4, 5 being attractively obscured by overlying, flatpleats 6, 7, respectively, formed along the marginal portions of saidcentral panel 1. Front panels 1, 2, 3 at their upper ends are cut tocooperatively define the forward portion of a neck opening 8, which maybe, optionally, of rounded design. The outer side edge of each sidepanel 2, 3 is contoured to provide a short sleeve section 9, 10,respectively, and in its skirt portion is flared outwardly, as at 2',3', respectively.

Front side panels 2, 3 are secured, along side margin of back panels 13,14, respectively; which latter are of corresponding edge contour, beingcomplementarily flared in their skirt portions and embodying sleevesections 15, 16, respectively, which cooperate with front sleevesections 9, 10, respectively, for developing the formation of sleeves17, 18 for mutual securement of the related panels along shoulder seams19, 20, respectively, which latter seams extend from the outer ends ofsleeves 17, 18 to neck opening 8. Said rear panels 13, 14 at their upperends are fashioned to complete neck opening 8.

Rear panel 13 is of greater width than panel 14, extending across thecenterline of the rear of garment A, and is secured along its rearwardor inner lateral margin to the confronting margin of panel 14, as bystitching, along a straight vertical seam 21 progressing from a point,indicated at 22, substantially intermediate the length of garment A,proximate the 'wearers waist, to the garment bottom edge. Above seam 21,the rearward margins of panels 13, 14 are inclined upwardly in thedirection generally toward the longitudinal centerline of the garmentback, and being unsecured define a line of opening 23 which thus extendsfrom point 22 to neck opening 8.

Attached, as by stitching, along one of its side edges to the rearwardlateral margin of rear panel 14, along line of opening 23, from neckopening 8 to the upper end of seam 21 or point 22 is an insert panel 24which at its bottom margin terminates at or below the lower end ofopening 23 and is secured by a transverse line of stitching 25 to theforwardly directed face of rear panel 13. At its upper end, said insertpanel 24 is designed to confrom to the curvature of neck opening 8 andalong its other or opposite side edge is free, and substantiallycoincidental with the longitudinal centerline of the garment rear. Thus,rear panel 13, above said transverse line of stitching 25 will overlap,in a generally flap-like manner, insert panel 24 when garment A is inworn position. Provided on the rearwardly directed face of insert panel24, adjacent its upper end margin, is secured a plurality of spaced,flat closure elements 26, as of the snap-fastener type, for engagementwith cooperative elements 27 mounted on the forwardly directed face ofrear panel 13.

It will thus be seen that garment A is open to the back from the neck tosubstantially the waist, with the skirt portion being closed throughoutits extent, which opening allows the wearer to comfortably don garment Aeither by stepping thereinto, or by pulling same overthe-head. After thegarment has been put on, the wearer need merely engage fastener elements26, 27, which are disposed at a most accessible point for convenientmanipulation to effect securement of garment A in wear. Line of opening23 between line of stitching 25 and the now-engaged neck fasteners 26,27 will remain unsecured during wear, but complete modesty will beaccorded the wearer, as the inclination of the side margins of said lineof opening 23 conduce to the waist or upper portions of rear panels 13,15 remaining in close-lying relationship to the wearers back, beingresistant to parting, and, additionally, insert panel 24 serves as aninterior cover to the said line of opening 23.

Secured upon the inner surfaces of side panels 2 and 13, and 3 and 14,for extension transversely thereof, across side seams 11, 12, preferablyupwardly of line of seams. 11, 12, respectively, to the outer or forwardlateral aeeasev stitching 25, are inner, tunnel-defining fabric strips28, 28', respectively, for receiving narrow, elongated tie tapes 29, 29,respectively. Said tapes 29, 29 are suitably fixed at their forward endsto the proximate portion of garment A and at their rearward ends passfreely through symmetrically located slits 30, 30, respectively,provided in panels 13, 14, respectively, adjacent to, but spaced from,the rearward margin of said panels. The projecting portions of said tietapes 29, 29' are thus presented for convenient manipulation for tyingsoas to gather garment A in the general waist portion.

Provided for use with garment A is an apron 31 having a main panel 32and a body-encircling band 33 which latter adjacent its ends is providedwith slits 34, 34' adapted for threading therethrough of tapes 29, 29,respectively (FIGURE 1). Upon tying of the free, projecting ends oftapes 29, 29, apron 31 will be thereby maintained securely in Wearingposition. Thus, by the unique cooperation of tapes 29, 29' and theconstruction of apron band 33, there is obviated the need forindependent tie strings for the apron or for any type of button-like orrelated fastener-means for engaging apron upon garment A. Tapes 29, 29thus serve the double function of supporting apron 31, as well as forgathering of garment A so as to accentuate the flare of the skirtportion and to thus enhance the overall attractive appearance of thegarment. Apron 31 is, desirably, fabricated of like material as garmentA for appealing blending therewith, and may be provided with edge trim,as at 35, for matching relationship with cuff members 36 and a collar 37integrally applied on garment A and of pleasing contrasting color to thebody of said garment.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that garment A is devoid ofthe customary full length line of opening, or the equally conventionalmultiplicity of openings such as, to the back and on the side, but doesincorporate a single opening from the neck to the waist which will allowthe ease of putting on and taking ofli of garment A as that encounteredwith other opening constructions heretofore utilized. As indicated,garment A is devoid of bulky,'hard, and extensive fastener-elements,having the minimum thereof, and which are of such flat nature as tocause no interference with the pressingof garment A by a fiat ironer.Thus, garment A may be entirely cleaned and pressed without the exerciseof hand Work which has heretofore been requisite in the cleaning of likegarments and which has, understandably, added measurably to the cost ofmaintaining such garments.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the formation,construction, arrangement, and combination of'the several parts of theutility garment may be made and substituted for these herein shown anddescribed without departing from the nature and principle of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is A utility dress comprising a front portion havinglateral edges, a first rear panel, a second rearpanel, the upper marginsof said front portion and said first and second rear panels beingsecured along shoulder seams and mutually defining a neck opening, saidfirst and second rear panels having front and rear side edges and beingsecured along their front side edges to opposite lateral edges of saidfront portion, said first rear panel being of greater width than saidsecond rear panel for extension across the longitudinal center line ofthe rear of the dress, the rear side edges of said first and second rearpanels being mutually secured in their lower portions along asubstantially vertical seam laterally of the longitudinal center lineofthe rear of the dress and being free in their upper portions fordefining a line of opening extending to said neck opening, the axis ofsaid line of opening forming an obtuse angle with the axis of saidsubstantially vertical seam, an insert panel extending from the neckopening to the lower end of said line of opening and being secured alongone side margin to the rear side margin of said second rear panel forunderlying a portion of said first rear panel, s'aidinsert panel beingsecured along its lower margin to said first rear panel.

along a transverse seam at the lower end of said line of opening, andmeans for detachably securing .said first rear panel and said insertpanel in their upper portions adjacent the neck opening. 0

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

